Since it's been so long, here's a quickie summary so you won't have to go read the story from the start.

In Chapter One, the Naberries are murdered by Palpatine and three-month-old Padmé is adopted by Palpatine. In Chapter Two, eighteen year old Padmé and her 'father' discuss Anakin Skywalker's potential as a Jedi.

Mortal Instruments

3, Leash

(18 years)

"Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi to see you, my lady."

Padmé looked up from the complicated embroidery. "Why, Master Kenobi! How good of you to come on such short notice."

The Jedi bowed stiffly.

With a graceful gesture of her hand, Padmé sent the handmaidens away. The antechamber was now empty save for her and her visitor. The meteorologist had chosen clear skies for Coruscant that day and bright sunlight poured in through the wall glass, highlighting secrets. Padmé noted the deep lines etched into Kenobi's face, particularly along his brow and the edges of his mouth, as well as the haunted expression in his eyes.

She smiled softly. "You haven't changed in the least."

The Jedi shot her a warning look and she resisted the urge to laugh out loud. Instead she just stared back at him, letting the mixture of contempt and amusement she felt toward him remain stark on her face.

He was the first to look away.

"How may I be of service to my lady?" The words were uttered with perfectly courteous spite.

Her smile turned positively incandescent.

-----

Master Sifo-Dyas always dragged his feet to these public affairs and the display of excesses that never failed to horrify his austere soul. So when he heard his name through the crowd, he steeled himself for a stilting polite conversation with some self-important politician.

Instead, after the usual greetings, he found himself staring in confusion at Lady Naberrie and her unexpected companion.

"I thought you weren't available."

"I was persuaded."

Master Sifo-Dyas glanced from Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Chancellor's daughter in frank puzzlement. There was nothing disproportionately affectionate in their auras, and the comfortable way Padmé Naberrie's hand rested on Obi-Wan's elbow seemed more friendly than amorous.

And yet...

"Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi! How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

Through the rainbow colors of the ballroom decorations and the even wider spectrum of the ornamental guests, the tall dark figure of Dooku materialized before their small circle.

There was no mistaking the sarcasm in his voice. Clearly ruffled, young Kenobi bowed stiffly. "Master Dooku, how good to see you again."

"Oh." She was disappointed but she recovered quickly. "And where is his apprentice?"

Dooku gave Lady Naberrie a rather strained smile and bowed yet again. Sifo-Dyas struggled with his own amusement as his old friend discretely rolled his eyes toward the ground.

Dooku straightened up. "He will be with us shortly," he said in a voice that punctuated the sentence with an 'or else.'

"It would be good to see young Skywalker," Sifo-Dyas reminisced. He gave Dooku a teasing smile. "Over in the Correllia Temple, we hear a lot of stories about him. A very high-spirited boy. He was - what? - eight when we left Coruscant, wasn't he, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan nodded silently.

Dooku's gaze returned to the young Jedi. "How is Correllia, Knight Kenobi?"

The tension between the two was palpable. Padmé Naberrie stared from one to the other with an avid curiosity that made Sifo-Dyas writhe internally.

"Dooku, you are being discourteous. Have you congratulated Lady Naberrie on the celebration?" He blurted quickly. "She organized the events practically single-handedly."

Dooku stopped glaring at Obi-Wan long enough to pay Padmé Naberrie his proper respects. The young woman blushed. "However did you find out?"

Sifo-Dyas laughed. "We are not Jedi, for nothing, my lady."

"The real secret is how Jedi Kenobi wrangled an invitation here from the Chancellor's household," Dooku said smoothly.

Obi-Wan started. Sifo-Dyas bit back a groan. His friend was nothing if not one-track minded.

Padmé Naberrie smiled winningly at Dooku. "I persuaded him to come, Master Dooku. I needed an escort to the inauguration and," she glanced sideways at Obi-Wan, "an opportunity to catch up with an old friend."

"I did not know that you and Knight Kenobi had known each other for so long," Sifo-Dyas said, surprised. Obi-Wan had not lived on Coruscant for almost five years. Padmé Naberrie had only recently left Naboo to live with her adopted father on Coruscant.

This time she looked fully at Obi-Wan, an eyebrow raised. "Well, I guess a lowly handmaiden's name won't have entered his report about the Battle of Naboo."

"Don't be ridiculous," Obi-Wan said in that his soft voice, but his eyes were on Sifo-Dyas when he spoke.

Sifo-Dyas stared at them both in confusion. From the corner of his eye, he saw Dooku doing the same.

Padmé Naberrie laughed.

Obi-Wan Kenobi did not speak again for the rest of the evening.

-----

"A conscience is like a leash. Keep a firm grip and its owner remains your slave. But take care not to yank too hard. Even the best synth-leather has a breaking stress."

---Chancellor Palpatine. Quote extracted from the diary of Lady Naberrie.

I'm new to these parts and just caught up with your first two chapters and then promptly delved into this one. I can't tell you how intriguing this seems already! :) Your writing style is fluid and perfectly measured all at the same time. I look forward to reading more. (Dark!Padme fic makes me want to squee with delight.)

I’m so pleased you’re enjoying this Padmé. I’m really flattered you think she even has as much personality as she did in Episode 3! :D I actually loved Padmé in that movie and I think her role was quite powerful.

More than episode three. ;) To be honest, in Revenge of the Sith, she hardly did anything apart from crying. I know I'm exaggerating, but I thought she was quite pathetic and didn't stand her ground. The deleted scenes add more (with the formation of the Rebellion, etc), but after The Phantom Menace, Padmé's character was lost and kept going down hill. That's why I enjoy reading her as a powerful woman and as a villain.

*amused* Considering the fact that Padmé cried only for a few minutes, in the most traumatic scene of the whole trilogy, I won’t have said she didn’t do anything but cry. It’s funny how it’s OK and cool for men to cry on a regular basis (Anakin does it in all three movies; Obi-Wan did it in TPM and ROTS; Luke did it in all 3 OT films), but when a woman does it once, she becomes a pathetic person who can’t stand her ground. Well to each its own. I like writing Padmé in various moral incarnations, but I have no problems at all with the character as portrayed in the prequel movies.

She has much more personality here as a villain than in the entirety of episode iii.

True. Even with the deleted scene stuff, Padme's character was severely muted in Ep III. I know she was pregnant with twins, though, and a sick part of me loves the tragic romanticism of her being too heartbroken to carry on (it was a weak way to die, and if I had my druthers, she would have died for a more realistic reason, but in the context of the story, it did actually make sense). But I generally adored Padme's character, and I particularly loved the moments when she acted very much in-charge and kick-assy.

Interesting. I agree that the characterization is pretty spot-on, which is fascinating since none of the relations are the same anymore. Padme's political wily-ness and Kenobi's honorable stiffness don't seem to mix that well. But they had history! On Naboo! Now that's interesting.

I find it uncomfortable that Padme calls Palpy "Father". It's a relation I never imagined before; Palpatine never seemed to think Padme so important in canon... What changed that here? What new property of Padme has attracted Palpy, I wonder? Or is it that Palpatine just has a totally different plan this time, with different players? Hmmm...

Interesting. I agree that the characterization is pretty spot-on, which is fascinating since none of the relations are the same anymore.

*g* Thank you! That's something I always worry about in my extreme AUs. Since the scenario is so unfamiliar, it's important the characters still are, even though they are in many ways unlike their canon selves.

I find it uncomfortable that Padme calls Palpy "Father". It's a relation I never imagined before; Palpatine never seemed to think Padme so important in canon... What changed that here?

Well in the earlier chapters, you'll see that Palpatine had her family murdered and "adopted" her so Padme grew up seeing him as her father. Now, as to why Palpatine did that... you'll have to wait and see. :D

LOL! I take it you haven't read my first and last attempt at Obidala called "Murderess"?

Also, what's up between Dooku and Obi-Wan? And where is Qui-Gon? And, most importantly, what is fourteen year old Kitster Banai doing with his life? ;)

As usual, you're asking all the right questions. Too bad I can't answer only one - Kitster hasn't quite made up his mind if he'll be appearing in this P&P-centric story but I believe he's living a life of happy notoriety on Tatooine.

I take it you haven't read my first and last attempt at Obidala called "Murderess"?

I have, actually. Though it's been a while. But I wasn't sure that one really counted, since she had a dark objective all along. ;) But then, I suppose she does here, as well.

This story is, once again, in danger of turning Obi-Wan into one of my favorite characters. How do you do that? ;)

As usual, you're asking all the right questions.Kitster hasn't quite made up his mind if he'll be appearing in this P&P-centric story but I believe he's living a life of happy notoriety on Tatooine.

Happy notoriety, eh? Sounds promising. ;) In fact, sounds like lots of fun. Though I have to admit that it would be loads of fun if, after Anakin falls and everyone else winds up dead, Kitster is the one who ultimately saves the galaxy. :D

Actually Obi-Wan had a dark objective which he "sold" to poor P. *sniff*

This story is, once again, in danger of turning Obi-Wan into one of my favorite characters. How do you do that? ;)

Believe me when I say it is not intentional! Yikes!!

Happy notoriety, eh? Sounds promising. ;) In fact, sounds like lots of fun. Though I have to admit that it would be loads of fun if, after Anakin falls and everyone else winds up dead, Kitster is the one who ultimately saves the galaxy. :D

Well, I have a weakness for characters who are the "underdog" as it were. People who are being used, who are being manipulated, who are ultimately doomed to failure. In other words, I have a weakness for characters I find pitiable. ;) So it was pretty well inevitable that I would prefer Obi-Wan to Padmé in this fic. And unless he suddenly becomes a manipulative SOB, I'm sorry to say that probably won't change. ;)

Perhaps another story? *whistles*

Do I hear the muse inspiring you to Kitster-centric fic? *looks hopeful*

Well, I have a weakness for characters who are the "underdog" as it were.

You know - not to sidetrack the coversation - this is something very interesting about American culture that I've discovered: the tendency to root for the little guy. I even notice it in movies, particularly fight scenes when the good guy needs to be losing the match initially before he gathers up the strength/inspiration/courage and kicks the Baddie's ass. I wonder why that is...

Do I hear the muse inspiring you to Kitster-centric fic? *looks hopeful*

Well, I hope not! :O I have lots of unfinished bunnies on my plate as it is. *le sigh*

That's probably a true observation about Americans. I think we like the idea that David can beat Goliath. Though I'm not entirely sure why, since we are Goliath in the field of world politics. >_< (But don't get me started on that.)

But I personally am more into doomed, impossible causes than I am into the little guy actually beating the big guy. One of the reasons I like Obi-Wan in this fic is because I know he is ultimately doomed, can't possibly win, and is already being hideously duped. And it can't end well for him. So I pity him, and that pity makes me much more sympathetic to his character. If by some miracle he turns out not to be doomed and manipulated, I will probably start to like him less.

Yes, it's paradoxical. But I figure the pawns need some love. ;)

Well, I hope not! :O I have lots of unfinished bunnies on my plate as it is. *le sigh*

I don't know how you do it but it's the first time ever I just want to hate Padmé. Both love and hate her, know what I mean? She's deliciously evil. ;)Don't know where you're going with it but I'm certainly enjoying the ride. :) Oh and I caught the Obidala thing as well. lol